Disclaimer: My headphones came from the marketing/PR folks at Able Planet.
I don’t board a flight without a pair of noise canceling headphones. I also bring standard earbuds. They have different uses — I don’t need the big headphones when I’m up with insomnia, but I love having them on the plane — and sometimes the bus.
I shelled out for some Shure isolation earbuds some time back, I got a tester set of Plane Quiet from their marketing folks, and I recently got a pair of Able Planet headphones. I also have a pair of earbuds from Coosh.
It turns out there are some things I look for in these products.
Comfort: The Able Planet headphones were just fine for the two hours or so I wore them. They’ve got nice padding around the ears and they fit close enough without feeling tight.
Design: The switch for the noise canceling is on the headsets, so it’s hard to turn them on by accident. The batteries live in the headset too, but I didn’t notice a weight shift to one side. The volume is on the cord, so it’s easy to access. The cord is removable, so the headphones are easy to stow, but I wonder if it’s easy to replace if you lose it. The headphones work whether the noise canceling is on or off. Bonus? My iPod fits right into the case for the headphones as though it was designed exactly for that.
Sound Quality: True audiophiles are going to have to decide for themselves if the headphones are up to their exactly requirements. Given that I listen mostly to audio documentary when I fly, I’m not so very picky about this. I did try a friend’s Bose headphones and yes, I was immediately struck by the sound quality, but I find the Able Planet headphones good enough.
Noise Cancellation: If it’s total silence you’re after, well, good luck. Isolation earbuds do a better job of that, but I just don’t find them comfortable enough to wear on long haul flights. The Able Planet headphones did make a big difference in the noise level on the flight, it was kind of remarkable, actually. I’d say they cut the engine noise down by half — and I was in a small plane on one leg of my flight, you may know how noisy those little jets are.
What should you buy? Honestly, I can’t make a solid recommendation. I have a slight preference for the Able Planet headphones because of some design choices, but I’ve traded email with Plane Quiet and they assure me that the issues I didn’t love have been fixed — and I didn’t find that the Able Planet headphones canceled any more or less engine noise than the Plane Quiet set.
While I do think a good set of noise canceling headphones makes a big difference in how you feel after a flight, I remain brand agnostic. Pick your price point, go from there. The bottom line? I’m just pleased that there’s an option that’s more affordable and works.
Want a pair? Here are a bunch of Amazon links. I’m an affiliate, if you buy through these links I get credit, but it doesn’t cost you anything extra.
My dad bought a pair of sony noise cancelling heaphones a while ago, they make flights a joy. Although they aren’t closed back they stil cancel a lot of noise and remain comfy for long periods.
Actually, this is what many, many people fail to understand – The concept of Noise cancelling. With regard to headphones, noise cancelling generally represents the removal of ‘almost static’ kind of noises – like constant engine noise from an airplane, etc. you can’t clap or click your fingers and expect it to be cancelled, because the algorithm used in the DSP’s of those headphones are such. Sony has released a new Headphone that probably does your job – Cancels out every possible element you can think of. Do check it out (I don’t remember the model no.)
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